In this thesis, the requirements and implementations of a pump-controlled differential hydraulic cylinder circuit have been investigated. The type of hydraulic system is direct driven hydraulics (DDH), which is one subcategory of electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHA). The aim is to propose a circuit capable of meeting the basic functionality of load-lifting industrial applications and operating with better energy efficiency than a traditional valve-controlled hydraulic system. The research has focused on finding out which valves and control methods are required to create an energy-efficient system so that the system maintains sufficient driving stiffness in all load situations. Also, the circuit must be able to regenerate both the kinetic and...